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1922-1931
Queen Marie of Rumania
Queen Marie, who reigned as Queen of Rumania from 1914–1927
and queen dowager from 1927–1938, was the first
royal supporter of the Bahá'í Faith. She
learned of the Faith through Martha Root, an American
woman who traveled extensively, speaking and writing
about the Bahá'í Teachings in every corner
of the world and meeting with people from all walks
of life.
Ms. Root met with the queen eight times. During one
of these audiences in 1928, Queen Marie gave Ms. Root
a stunning brooch as a gift. Martha Root described the
event in these words:
. . . Her dear Majesty had given the writer a gift,
a lovely and rare brooch which had been a gift to
the Queen from her royal relatives in Russia some
years ago. It was two little wings of wrought gold
and silver, set with tiny diamond chips, and joined
together with one large pearl. “Always you are
giving gifts to others, and I am going to give you
a gift from me,” said the Queen smiling, and
she herself clasped it onto my dress.
With the queen’s consent, Ms. Root sent the brooch
to the United States to be sold at the annual convention
for the Temple fund. It was purchased by Mr. Willard
Hatch, a Bahá'í from Los Angeles, who
later took it to Haifa and gave it to Shoghi Effendi
as a gift for the International Bahá'í
Archives.
Queen Marie publicly proclaimed her support of the Bahá'í
Teachings in three testimonies that were published in
nearly two hundred newspapers in the United States and
Canada, then translated and spread as far abroad as
Europe, Asia, and Australia. In one such statement,
she wrote:
If
ever the name of Bahá’u’lláh
or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá comes to your attention,
do not put their writings from you. Search out their
Books, and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating
words and lessons sink into your hearts as they have
into mine.
A Precious Gift
The silk carpet sent to America was considered “one
of the most exquisite pieces ever woven in Persia,”
crafted by “the most expert weaver in that country”.
Its pattern gave the impression of a rose garden, with
beautiful crimsons and browns on a center field of ivory,
accented by a border of dark crimson and pale blue.
Mr. Ziaoulláh Asgarzadeh had purchased the carpet
in Persia, then undertook the difficult journey of many
weeks to present it to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
in Haifa, Israel. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself
placed the carpet in the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
Though priceless to the Bahá'ís, in 1929
the carpet’s market value had been established
at $20,000.
Shoghi Effendi shared his hopes for the result of his
sacrifice in a letter to the American Bahá'ís:
Moved by an impulse that I could not resist, I have
felt impelled to forego what may be regarded as the
most valuable and sacred possession in the Holy Land
for the furthering of that noble enterprise which
you have set your hearts to achieve. With the hearty
concurrence of our dear Bahá'í brother,
Ziaoulláh Asgarzadeh, who years ago donated
it to the Most Holy Shrine, this precious ornament
of the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh
has been already shipped to your shores, with our
fondest hope that the proceeds from its sale may at
once ennoble and reinforce the unnumbered offerings
of the American believers already accumulated. . .
.
Though
the amounts contributed were small, the upsurge in the
number of contributors meant that the $400,000 goal
for the construction fund was soon achieved. At the
1930 National Bahá'í Convention, the splendid
carpet was displayed in Foundation Hall. Shoghi Effendi
cabled the Bahá'ís gathered in Wilmette:
Convey
assembled delegates expression profound gratitude,
heartfelt congratulations their heroic achievement.
May speedy construction entire edifice usher in era
unprecedented triumphs beloved Faith as promised by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
America’s sustained, glorious sacrifice will
assuredly endow rising edifice with such spiritual
potencies as shall excite wonder, admiration all peoples.
Befittingly inaugurate resumption Temple construction.
Consecrated carpet need neither be sold nor returned.
Dedicated as permanent ornament first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
of the West.
The
Fire
The Chicago Tribune reported that thousands
of people gathered to watch the firemen battle the fire.
The Temple watchman and one of the firemen received
serious injuries. The Chicago Evening American described
the event:
Fire apparatus from
Wilmette and Evanston responded. Frozen mains and
hydrants cut the pressure of the water so that firemen
were powerless to reach the full height of the temple
and the flames blazed furiously.
Among those who witnessed the fire were Mrs. Alice
DeLongpre Bourgeois, widow of the architect. . .
Mrs. Bourgeois watched the conflagration from a window
in her studio home across the street from the temple.
She was visible affected by the fire which threatened
to ruin the climax of her husband’s length career.
. . .
The fire destroyed glass and equipment, and it was necessary
to replace the clerestory floor and repair other concrete
sections. The structural steelwork and the dome were
undamaged. The fluctuating value of the dollar actually
led to some cost savings, and additional ventilation
and electrical work was accomplished. The National Spiritual
Assembly also made the providential discovery that there
was no insurance coverage for Foundation Hall, which
had miraculously escaped even water damage.
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